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French property: take a very different Tour de France

Ben Clatworthy reports on the market in châteaux and cottages along the famous cycle route

This ten-bedroom château near Poitiers in the Poitou-Charentes region is on sale for €2.4 million (Leggett)

The Times, July 13 2018, 12:01am

The Tour de France is not only about the Lycra-clad competitors — for potential buyers the 3,351km race offers an armchair tour of some of France’s prime property hotspots. From striking urban architecture to the lofty peaks of the Alps, the Tour, which runs until July 29, showcases the best of France.

In the past year the country’s residential markets have begun to flourish. One of Emmanuel Macron’s first moves on being elected president last year was to slash the country’s controversial wealth tax, and “l’effet Macron” has caused a “ripple of optimism from Paris to the Côte d’Azur, Provence and the Alps”, according to Knight Frank, an estate agency.

The French property market has been waiting for such a recovery after being hit by…

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